My Best Friend - Jack
Jack was my best friend, more than my best friend, he was like a brother. His life was short, and not always an easy ride. He had to face trials which most of us can't possibly imagine at this time in our lives. We're all still too young, we cannot comprehend what it feels like to grow old, to feel our bodies slowly wither and to see our hair turn to grey, much less what that feels like when you are just ten years old, as Jack was when I first met him. It must have been a terrible thing to have been asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, and for him to have known that he might not even live to see his eighteenth birthday – but that didn't stop Jack, he tackled adversity in the same way he lived his life; with a smile on his face, a spring in his step, and a determination to live each day as though it might be his last. Jack was probably the bravest kid I ever knew.
When I first met Jack, like so many others had before me, I failed to see the child trapped inside the man's body, struggling to get out, but as I got to know him I realised that inside Jack was just a regular kid – just like the rest of us. He loved to play, especially basketball, and enjoyed riding his bike. To me he was the perfect grown up, he never pretended to have all the answers, because he didn't, and he wasn't afraid to try new things – sometimes it was as though he was viewing the world around him for the very first time, because, like us, for the most part he was.
Even as we all grew older, and we saw him replace his sweets for pain pills, and skateboard for a wheelchair he never lost the glimmer from his eyes. To Jack everyday was magical, life one huge adventure – he knew that he would never get to go to college, get married, or have a family, but Jack never worried about those things. Instead he focused on enjoying what little time he had, and on making each day a memorable one.
He was a joy to grow up with, someone special with whom to share childhood memories, and when I'm old and have a family of my own I will point them towards the brightest star in the night's sky and tell them about the big kid in heaven, the young man who despite outward appearances never grew up, and who watches over us all now – reminding us to enjoy life, and not to get too bogged down with the things that don't really matter, because at the end of the day life is just one huge voyage of discovery.
So today I may shed a tear, but I'll do it with a smile and raise a glass as I bid farewell to a perfect grown up. Tomorrow may be a new day, but I'll never forget that very special kid, who despite the odds grew up to become the most remarkable of men. I'll miss him every day for the rest of my life.
My best friend – Jack.